As of: February 19, 2024, 11:30 a.m
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Utility billing is often an unpleasant topic in times of energy crisis.
How to check whether the invoice is really correct.
Everything is becoming more expensive, including electricity and gas.
In times of the energy crisis, it is more worthwhile than ever to take a closer look at your own utility bill.
Since everything is becoming more expensive for the landlords, but they cannot pass on the price increase to the tenants as easily as they would like, tricks are sometimes used.
So that you don't become one of the tenants who are ripped off by your landlord, you can have your utility bill checked.
If an error has actually occurred, whether intentional or not, consumer protection takes effect and you can assert your rights.
Consumer advice centers and tenant associations help with this.
Utility billing (symbolic image) © Sascha Steinach/Imago
Consumer advice center or tenant association: When should you contact the experts?
There can be various reasons for checking the utility bill.
Skepticism on the part of the tenant is just one of many reasons.
It can also happen that an invoice was submitted too late, that individual amounts or invoice items appear vague or unclear, that additional payments are required that were not agreed in the rental agreement or that an honest mistake has simply been made.
In all of these cases, consumer protection can help because tenants also have rights.
These rights and obligations of tenants and landlords are recorded in the Civil Code (BGB) and the lawyers and experts in tenancy law who work for consumer advice centers and tenant associations are very familiar with these laws.
If your utility bill seems strange, you should first contact your landlord.
This is required by law to make the utility billing transparent.
But if the landlord doesn't provide the necessary information, doesn't want to change the billing or the tenant otherwise has a bad feeling, it's worth calling in the experts.
However, this service is not completely free unless you are already a member of a tenants' association.
If not, both consumer centers and associations can charge costs of around 60 to 80 euros per hour for comprehensive advice.
The best thing to do is to contact the relevant authorities in your own community.
Billing details that you should pay attention to: When consumer protection applies
The first detail renters should pay attention to is the billing date.
By law, landlords are obliged to send the tenant the billing statement no later than the end of the twelfth month after the end of the billing period.
This means: The utility bill for 2021 must be received by the tenant by December 31, 2022 at the latest.
If the billing comes later, the landlord no longer has the right to make any additional demands.
This regulation is intended to protect the tenant from delayed claims.
Conversely, the tenant's credit does not expire after 12 months on this date and must still be paid out afterwards.
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Exceptions: If it can be proven that the delay in the utility bill is not the fault of the landlord (but, for example, that of the post office), this can be claimed under certain circumstances.
In addition, the rental law experts check the utility bill for any inconsistencies.
Depending on the case, they look at the billing as a whole as well as the individual items on the invoice.
These include, for example, water supply and wastewater, garbage collection, street and house cleaning, elevator, liability, property tax, garden maintenance, winter service and costs for chimney sweeps and caretakers.
If the house has central heating, the heating costs are also part of these operating costs.
The experts assess the utility bill based on the Operating Costs Ordinance (BetrKV) and can also help the tenant take legal action if the landlord has actually violated one of the regulations.
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Additional costs in the energy crisis: Don't fall into these billing traps
The issue of additional costs is a painful one, especially in times of energy crisis.
The prices for gas and electricity are skyrocketing and are being passed on by providers to landlords, who in turn want to pass them on to tenants.
But it's not quite that simple.
First of all, the landlord is obliged to look for the best possible deal for his tenants.
Simply increasing the costs without further research is therefore not permitted.
But if your landlord is a trickster, he can also try to compensate for the increased energy costs in other ways.
Make sure that no “other” or “general operating costs” are listed on your utility bill in addition to those already mentioned.
The landlord is obliged to make the cost centers transparent and general formulations have no place on utility bills.
You should also keep a close eye on excessive “landlord’s own contributions” as well as “repairs and maintenance”.
From 2023, landlords will also have to contribute to the CO2 tax for heating and thus cover part of the additional costs.